Strand-retaining means for winding machines



Dec. 16, 1952 M. E. FAGAN 2,621,861

'STRAND-RETAIN.ING MEANS FOR WINDING MACHINES Filed Jan. 13, 1948 2 SHEETS-SHEET l [In/en Z 01: jlfozzraegf ayan 3 4 M* wazuw lfiornqys.

Dec. 16, 1952. FAGAN I 2,621,861

STRAND-RETAINING MEANS FOR WINDING MACHINES Filed Jan. 13, 1948 2 SHEETSSHEET 2 I 0211 1'01": MonroeEFqymz y. 40M, 0621, M v wazzw Z'fornqys.

Patented Dec. 16, 195 2 STRAND-RETAINING MEANS FOR WINDING MACHINES Monroe E. Fagan, Cranston, B. I., assignor to Universal Winding Company, Boston, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application January 13, 1948, Serial No. 2,024

7 9 Claims. 1

This invention relates to improvements in machines for winding different kinds of strandmaterial, and more particularly to means cooperating with the traversing strand-guide which distributes the windings on a core for automatically gripping and retaining the strand when the guide is retracted from the winding so as to prevent its severed end from escaping.

One object of the invention is to provide means in the form of a clip position adjacent the traversing strand-guide and adapted to seize the strand automatically at the completion of the winding so that it may be cut from the finished coil or package and the end retained for attaching it to a new core to start the winding again.

Another object is to provide in a winding machine means for automatically gripping the strand leading to the winding as the strandguide is withdrawn therefrom to retain its free end when out; and to automatically release the strand and replace it in the guide when the latter is returned to winding position.

Another object is to provide in a machine for winding electrical coils a strand-guide movable away from the winding spindle at the completion of the winding and means automatically cooperating therewith for gripping and retaining the strand of wire leading to the coil when the guide is withdrawn therefrom.

Another object is to provide in a coil-winder a pivoted strand-guide adapted to be positioned with its guiding means adjacent the core on which the winding is to be performed and retracted therefrom upon completion of the coil with a resiliently-operated clip for gripping the strand and retaining its end when it is cut from the completed coil.

Another object is to provide a strand-guide having a grooved disk or pulley around which the strand feeds to the winding and pivoted to adapt said pulley to be withdrawn therefrom, with a strand-gripping clip arranged adjacent the pulley and means for adjusting the pulley in an axial direction while simultaneously adjusting the clip in alinement therewith.

Further objects of the invention are set forth in the following specification which describes a preferred form of construction of the strandguide and the cooperating gripping means as illustrated by the accompanying drawings. In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view illustrating the essential elements of a coil-winder and showing the strand-guide in normal position for distributing the wire-strand on a core or spool held on the rotary Winding spindle;

Fig. 2 is a similar perspective view showing the strand-guide withdrawn from the coil with the clip carried thereby gripping and holding the end of the wire-strand before it has been cut from the coil;

Fig. 3 is an end elevational view showing the winding spindle and traversing strand-guide with the latter in retracted position and the clip gripping the free end of the strand to retain it after it has been cut from the coil;

Fig. 4 is a rear elevational view of the strandguide and clip carried thereby in the same relationship as illustrated in Fig. 3

Fig. 5 is a transverse part-sectional view of the strand-guide and clip taken on line 5--5 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 6 is a detailed sectional view of the clip taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 3.

As before indicated, the invention is shown and described herein as applied to use with a machine for producing electrical coils by winding wire of various types on hollow cores. It is to be understood, however, that the present improvements may be applied to other types of winding or like machines within the purview of the invention. The winding machine in general may comprise a rotary winding spindle 2 for supporting a hollow core or spool S on which the wire is wound, and a reciprocating guide, indicated generally at 5, for distributing the wirestrand on the barrel of the spool. The winding spindle 2 as herein shown projects from the frame 6 of the machine, being journaled in suitable bearings (not illustrated) and the guide 5 is mounted on a traverse-rod 1 arranged parallel with the axis of the winding spindle and reciprocated relatively thereto by a cam or other suitable means enclosed within the frame, but not herein shown. The winding spindle 2 may carry a handwheel or weighted disk 3 for balancing its rotation and the spool S may be held on the outer end of the spindle by any suitable means such as a hand-nut 4 for clamping it in place.

The traversing strand-guide 5 may comprise an arm I0 secured fast to the reciprocating traverse-rod 1, see Figs. 3 and 4, by means of a split bearing H and a clamping bolt l2. The guide proper consists in an arm or lever l5 having a hub at its lower end pivotally mounted on the upper end of the arm l0. As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the guide-arm I5 is mounted to rock on a stud l6 passing through a hole in its hub and secured in the end of the arm ID by means of a nut l1 and spring-washer [8. The outer end of the guide-arm I5 is formed with an enlarged head [9 which is bored transversely and threaded to receive the shank of an adjustable thumb-screw 28, see Fig. 5. The head I9 is split longitudinally at 2| to provide opposed bifurcations 22 for clamping around the sides of the screw by means of a binder-screw 23. The screw 20 carries a plate 24 at its end which serves as a mounting for a grooved guide-wheel or pulley 25 and also for the strand-gripping clip, designated generally by the reference numeral 26.

The guiding disk or pulley 25 may be journaled on an antifriction bearing comprising a ball-race 21 for a series of balls 28. The balls 28 are arranged to roll in shallow grooves 29 and 30 in the interior of the pulley 25 and the periphery of the race 21, respectively. Suitable retainers 3! are employed for spacing the balls 28 around the bearing and closure rings 32 and 33 are provided at opposite sides thereof. The ball-race 21 is secured tothe end of the adjusting screw 20 by means of a stud 34 having a beveled head 35 countersunk in its end and a reduced shank 35 screwed into a threaded bore in the end of the screw. The end of the screw 20 is reduced in diameter to form a relatively small neck 37 which projects through a hole in the plate 24 to adapt the screw to rotate therein. A washer 38 is disposed between the outer face of the plate 24 and the end of the bearing or ball-race 27 to provide for clamping the bearing to the plate 24 by means of the stud 34. A pin fast in the lower end of the plate 24 is arranged to slide in a bore in the head 19 to prevent the plate from turning on the screw 20, see Figs. 4 and 5.

By the above-described form of construction the plate 24 and strand-guiding pulley 25 carried thereon may be adjusted laterally with micrometer-like accuracy by turning the screw 20 in its bearing in the head I9 on the guidearm l5. After the plate 24 and the pulley 25 have been adjusted to aline the groove in the pulley with one end of the barrel of the spool S on which the winding is to be performed, these parts are clamped in position by setting up the binder-screw 23, previously referred to. An adjustable screw 46 threaded through the lower end of the guide-arm l5 and locked in position by a check-nut 41 is provided as a stop for locating the position of the guide-arm and the pulley 25 radially of the winding spindle, see Fig. 1. The end of the screw 46 is positioned to engage against a projection or lug 48 on the arm it! which supports the guide-arm l5, see Fig. 3, to locate the guide-pulley 25 in operative position adjacent the spool S as shown in Fig. l.

The strand-gripping clip 25, referred to previously as mounted on the plate 24, comprises two cylindrical gripping members 58 and 5| formed with convexly-shaped opposed faces to provide a re-entrant opening therebetween as shown most clearly in the sectional view, Fig. 6. The two gripping members are mounted for relative axial movement on a pin or stud 52 fastened in and projecting from an inclined arm 53 extending rearwardly from the main portion of the plate 24. One gripping member, the disk 58, abuts the face of the arm 53 of the plate 24 while the opposite movable gripper 5| is of hollow form and arranged to slide on the pin 52 toward the fixed member or disk 58. For this purpose a helical spring 55 surrounds the pin 52 within the hollow of the gripping member 5!, being held under compression between its side wall and a knurled nut 56 screwed onto the threaded end of the stud or pin 52. The nut 56 has a thimble-like axial projection 58 so that when it is screwed into the hollow of the gripper 5| it will afford a better finger-hold for turning the nut to adjust the tension of the spring 55. It will be understood that the nut 55 may be adjusted to tension the spring 55 in accordance with the pressure required to effect a secure gripping action between the members 58 and 5!. It is to be noted that due to mounting the clip or strand-retainer 26 on the plate 24 with the gripping faces of its members 58 and 5| in alinement with the groove in the pulley 25, when the pulley is adjusted in position to start the winding at one end of the spool the clip will be adjusted simultaneously therewith. The construction and arrangement of the parts of the present improved device having been described in detail its method of operation is explained as follows:

While the present drawings show a relatively narrow or short coil as being wound on the machine it should be understood that much wider or longer coils may be produced by adjusting the core-mounting means and the extent of traverse or length of throw of the strand-guide. Whatever the length of the coil to be wound the traversing means is adjusted with the groove in the guide-pulley 25 at one end of the core, or in line with the inner face of one of the flanges on the spool, and the traversing means is then set with a throw equal to the length of the spool barrel between its flanges. The lateral adjustment of the pulley 25 is made with the threadguide rocked downwardly into winding position, as shown in Fig. 1, with the pulley clearing the periphery of the spool flanges. This latter adjustment of the guide-arm [5 in relation to the spool S is accomplished by screwing the screw 46 through the arm to cause its end to contact the lug 48 to hold the arm in its proper position at the start of the winding operation, after which the check nut 4'3 is tightened to lock the screw in place.

The present drawings illustrate the wirestrand w as feeding downwardly to the traverseguide 5, this being the usual arrangement with wire delivering from a supply-spool rotatably mounted above the machine, but not herein shown. During the winding operation the strand delivering from the supply-spool is maintained under tension by suitable means as usually provided. The strand of wire w is led around the under side of the pulley or guide-wheel 25 through its groove and suitably fastened to the core on which the Winding is to be performed, in the present case the barrel of the spool S. The machine is then ready to operate and may be started through the usual instrumentalities, not shown or described herein. As the winding spindle 2 rotates to wind the wire or other strand material into a coil or package the strand will feed through the groove in the guide-wheel 25 and be traversed back and forth between the flanges of the spool S to form the coil or other package in superimposed layers.

After the coil or package is completed the strand-guide is retracted therefrom by rocking the arm 15 upwardly and rearwardly into the position shown in Fig. 2. During this upward swinging movement of the guide-arm i5 the clip or strandretainer 26 will be carried back with it to enter the strand between the grippers 50 and 51 of the clip and grip it securely in the manner indicated in Fig. 2. That is to say, the wire-strand w while held under tension will be forced into the re-entrant mouth between the grippers 50 and El and gripped thereby under the resilient action of the spring 55. The wire or other strand may now be cut from the coil or package so that the latter can be doffed by removing it from the winding spindle of the machine to thereafter replace it with a new spool or core. During the doffing operation the strand of wire will be securely gripped and held in the clip 26 with its end depending therefrom for convenient grasping to start the winding of a new coil or package.

After a new core or spool S has been applied to the winding spindle 2 the end of the strand of wire in is attached thereto in the manner as next explained. The length of strand 10 held in the clip 26 may be grasped and drawn down to extend its end sufficiently for fastening to the spool S; the wire unwinding from the supplyspool for this purpose and the guide 5 being rocked forward during the operation. Then, as the strand-guide 5 is swung down manually to place it in winding position, as shown in Fig. 1, the strand will be released from the clip 26 and automatically replaced in the groove of the guide-wheel 25. The machine is then ready to restart the winding again.

The present automatic strand-retaining means is especially adapted for coil-winding machines as the wire used for the coils is relatively springy and without some means for retaining it in or adjacent the strand-guide it would swing or coil upwardly so as to render it inconvenient for fastening its end to the core at the beginning of a new winding operation. Thus it will be observed that the present invention constitutes an important improvement in the art by providing a clip or strand-retainer for cooperating automatically with the strand-guide to retain the end of the strand convenient of access during the frequent dofiing of completed coils or packages prior to restarting the winding operation.

While the invention is herein illustrated and described as applied to use with a machine for winding electrical coils, it is to be understood that it is equally well adapted for other types of machines either for spooling wire or packaging difierent kinds of strand-materials; for example, textile strands. Although the present drawings show a preferred embodiment of the invention it is further to be understood that various modifications may be made in the structure and arrangement of the parts of the device; for example, the clip or strand-retainer may be mounted in fixed position instead of carried by the strand-guide, all within the purview of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

Therefore, without limiting myself in this respeot, I claim:

1. In a winding machine, a winding spindle for rotating 3, core to wind strand-material thereon, a guide for distributing the strand on the core, means for relatively reciprocating the winding spindle and strand-guide, means for mounting the strand-guide to adapt it to be moved away from the winding spindle upon completion of the winding, and a spring-actuated clip connected for movement with the guide to engage with and frictionally grip the strand as the guide is moved away from the winding spindle to retain the end of the strand in convenient position for restarting the winding.

2. In a winding machine, a rotary winding spindle for mounting a core to wind strand-material thereon, a traversing strand-guide movable toward or away from the core, and a clip having resiliently-operated grippers for seizing the strand, said clip being located in position to automatically grip the strand as the guide is moved away from the core whereby to hold the end of the strand as it is severed from the winding. 1

3. In a winding machine, a rotary winding spindle, a guide for distributing strand-material lengthwise of the winding spindle, means for mounting the strand-guide to adapt it to be moved away from the winding spindle upon completion of the winding, a clip comprising opposed grippers, and resilient means for urging said grippers toward each other to seize the strand leading to the winding spindle as the strandguide is withdrawn therefrom whereby to retain its end after it has been severed from the Wind- 1 4. A winding machine comprising a rotary winding spindle, traversing means reciprocable relatively to the winding spindle, a strand-guide pivoted to said traversing means to adapt it to be swung toward or away from the winding spindle, a clip mounted on said strand-guide and comprising opposed grippers, and resilient means for urging said grippers toward each other to seize the strand leading to the winding spindle when the guide is withdrawn therefrom to retain its end as it is disconnected from the winding spindle.

5. In a winding machine, a rotary winding spindle, a traverse-bar reciprocable opposite said winding spindle, a strand-guide comprising an arm pivotally mounted on the traverse-bar to swing toward or away from the winding spindle, a grooved pulley carried by said guide-arm for guiding a strand of material to distribute it longitudinally of the winding spindle, and a clip mounted on the guide-arm and having means for gripping the strand leading to the winding spindle to retain the end of the strand as its connection with the winding spindle is severed.

6'. In a winding machine, the combination with a rotary winding spindle and a reciprocatory traversing member, of an arm pivoted to said traversing member to adapt it to swing toward or away from the winding spindle, a strand-guiding pulley journaled on said arm, a clip on the arm for gripping the strand leading to the winding spindle to retain its end as it is severed from the winding, and means for adjusting the pulley laterally with respect to the arm and simultaneously adjusting the clip to maintain it in alinement with said guiding pulley.

7. In a winding machine, the combination with a rotating winding spindle and a reciprocating traversing member, of an arm pivoted to the traversing member to adapt it to move toward or away from the winding spindle, a member mounted on the end of the arm and adjustable laterally relatively thereto, a grooved guidepulley journaled rotatively on said member, and a clip mounted on said member and comprising grippers for seizing the strand arranged with their gripping faces in alinement with the groove in the guide-pulley.

8. In a winding machine, the combination with a rotary winding spindle and a reciprocating traverse-bar, of a guide-arm mounted on the traverse-bar to adapt it to move toward or away from the winding spindle, a member carried on said arm, a screw for adjusting said member laterally relatively to the arm, a grooved guidepulley journaled on said member, and a clip having means for gripping the strand leading to the pulley to retain its end when severed from the winding, said clip mounted on the member with the pulley for simultaneous adjustment therewith.

9. In combination with the rotary winding spindle and reciprocating traverse-bar of a winding machine, a support mounted on said traversebar, a guide-arm pivoted at one end to said support to adapt it to swing toward or away from the winding spindle, a member mounted for adjustment on said arm, a screw extending through the guide-arm and connected to said member to adjust it laterally of the arm, a grooved guide-pulley carried by said member, and a clip mounted on said member and having gripping means alined REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,131,148 Siegenthaler Sept. 27, 1938 2,304,712 Siegenthaler Dec. 8, 1942 2,461,593 Decker, Jr Feb. 15, 1949 

